It is safe to say that Queens Park Rangers are currently proving a lot of critics wrong with their recent run of form showing they are not as badly run as they often portray.

The Rs lost their first four matches of the season including a 7-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns and looked destined for a real scrap to avoid the drop.

Last Friday, however, Steve McClaren's side picked up their sixth win of the season thanks to a 1-0 win against Aston Villa at Loftus Road and are looking like anything but relegation candidates.

The Rs now sit seven points clear of the drop zone but more remarkably are now just four points behind Norwich City who currently occupy the final available playoff spot.

But with the January transfer window approaching fast, there are signs that that incompetence that became so synonymous with the club during their recent Premier League stints still remains.

What? 

With the five wins in their last eight matches all coming with a clean sheet, it is clear to see the main reason for the club's turnaround in form.

The back-line of Jake Bidwell, Joel Lynch, Toni Leistner and Angel Rangel have turned into one of the most cohesive defensive units in the Championship.

But when it is considered that both Bidwell's and Lynch's current deals expire at the end of the season you have to question what the club have been doing.

Both are proven to be top-class Championship defenders and with January approaching, and with QPR's precarious financial situation, the pair will be a very attractive prospect to plenty of Championship clubs.

The task, therefore, is simple.

Chairman Amith Bhatia and Steve McClaren must agree new deals with these two players in order to stop their season from derailing.